The Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced on Mar. 13 that it has completed its review of a non-fatal officer-involved shooting in Ludlow and will not prosecute Ludlow Police Department Chief Jeffrey Warfle for his use of deadly force against Jaime Gomez, 18.
The decision follows an incident on January 1, when Chief Warfle responded to a noise complaint at the Fox Run Inn. The Attorney General’s Office determined that Warfle’s actions were justified under state law after Gomez attempted to strike him with a knife.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Chief Warfle first spoke peacefully with Gomez before going upstairs to speak with the complainant. While outside the second-floor unit, Gomez approached with his hands in his pockets and then tried to attack Warfle with a concealed knife. In response, Warfle fired two shots from his service weapon, injuring Gomez, who was then arrested and taken to a hospital.
The office cited Vermont statutes allowing officers to use deadly force if they reasonably believe they are facing imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm and have no reasonable alternative. “Under the totality of these circumstances, an objectively reasonable officer in Chief Warfle’s position would have concluded that there was no other reasonable alternative than the use of deadly force to prevent death or serious bodily injury to himself or others,” said the statement from the Attorney General’s Office.
Caledonia State’s Attorney Claire Burns also reviewed the case as conflict counsel for Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office and reached the same conclusion as Vermont State Police provided all investigative materials for both reviews.
This decision concludes official investigations into this incident but highlights ongoing discussions about police use of force policies across Vermont.
